Death and Survival
by Annabeth500
Summary: This starts with an excerpt from the last few pages of The Death Cure. As great as this novel is, I kept asking myself one question: What would have happened if Teresa had lived, and Brenda had died? I hope you enjoy this short story! Please comment :-) James Dashner owns all the characters.
1. Prologue

" _A splintering, shattering noise split the air so loudly that Thomas looked back. His eyes drifted upward, where a massive section of the ceiling had torn loose. He watched, hypnotized, as it fell toward him. Teresa appeared in the corner of his vision, her image barely discernible through the clogged air. Her body slammed into his, shoving him toward the maintenance room. His mind emptied as he stumbled backward and fell, just as the huge piece of the building landed on top of Teresa, pinning her body; only her head and an arm jutted out from under its girth._

 _"Teresa!" Thomas screamed, an unearthly sound that somehow rose above everything else. He scrambled toward her. Blood streaked her face, and her arm looked crushed._

 _He shouted her name again, and in his mind he saw Chuck, falling to the ground, covered in blood, and Newt's bulging eyes. Three of the closest friends he'd ever had, and WICKED had taken them all away from him._

 _"I'm so sorry," he whispered to her, knowing she couldn't hear. "I'm so sorry."_

 _Her mouth moved, working to speak, and he leaned in to make out what she was trying to say._

 _"Me...to," she whispered. "I only ever...cared for..."_

 _And then Thomas was being dragged to his feet, yanked away from her. He didn't have the energy or will to fight it. She was gone. His body ached with pain; his heart stung. Brenda and Minho pulled him up, got his feet under him. The three of them lurched forward, pushed ahead..._

 _...[Thomas and Minho] then looked at each other for a long moment, catching their breath, somehow reliving in those few seconds all the things they'd gone through, all the death, all the pain. And mixed in there was relief, that maybe- just maybe-it was all over._

 _But mostly Thomas felt the pain of loss. Watching Teresa die - to save his life - had been almost too much to bear..._

 _...For the first time in his life, he was both free and safe, as costly as the accomplishment had been._

 _Then Thomas did the only thing he could think of. He reached out and took Brenda's hand._

 _She squeezed his in response...She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then on the lips..._

 _...Thomas put it all out of his mind and pulled her closer as the last wink of the sun's light vanished below the horizon._ **"**


	2. Death

Thomas glanced behind him as he heard a splintering crack. He looked up to the breaking ceiling where a large chunk of plaster had fallen loose. He stared up at it, not registering that it was heading straight for him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brenda running towards him. Her figure was hazy through the dust and grime swirling through the air.

Brenda slammed into him, pushing him out from under the massive piece of plaster. Thomas slid across the floor and slammed into a metal door, his body collapsing like a rag doll. He looked up in time to see the large piece of ceiling land on Brenda, pinning her to the ground. Only her head and one arm lay uncovered.

"Brenda!" Thomas screamed. On his hands and knees, he rushed to her side. Blood caked her face, and her uncovered arm was a mangled mess.

He called her name again, and the deaths of all his close friends flashed through his mind on fast forward. He saw Chuck, taking the knife to save him, Newt, staring at him after Thomas shot him, and now Brenda. Three friends who were starting to feel like family. And WICKED had taken them away from Thomas.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered to her, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. "I'm so sorry. This shouldn't have happened. I..."He stopped, unsure where that sentence was going, but he saw Brenda's mouth move, working to speak, and he leaned in to try to make out what she was saying.

"Me...to," she whispered. "I only ever...cared for you...don't blame... Teresa...she did what...she thought was...right..." She was fading, dying, right before his eyes.

And then Thomas was being grabbed under the arms and pulled roughly away from Brenda's body. He fought, screaming and kicking like a small child, even though he knew the truth; she was gone. Brenda was gone. Thomas' heart stung. Teresa and Minho pulled him up, helping him to stand; then the three of them pushed forward to a new life.


	3. Survival

Thomas made it through the Flat-Trans and looked at Minho catching his breath, both of them reliving all the things they'd gone through together; all the death, all the pain. But mixed in with all those terrible feelings was relief.

Mostly Thomas felt the pain of losing his closest friends. The closest friends he'd ever had. Watching Brenda die - to save his life - had been almost too much to bear. Thomas had thought - had hoped - that there had been something between them, and seeing that shattered was unbearable. But he knew what he had to do. Brenda had been right. He shouldn't blame Teresa for what she did. Although it had got them nearly killed, she did what she thought was right.

Then Thomas did the only thing he could think of. He looked for Teresa. He found her staring at the Flat-Trans.

"Hey," he whispered, coming up behind her. She turned, tears covering her face.

"Hey," she said, wiping her face. Thomas stood beside her and looked into the archway.

"What's the matter?" Thomas asked, turning to her. She held his gaze for a moment, and then glanced away.

"All the people who gave their lives for us to be here. Newt, Alby, little Chuck...Brenda," she glanced at him. Thomas stiffened. Just hearing Brenda's name was as painful as a knife in his heart.

"She was a hero, Thomas, she was brave. Giving her own life to save yours means that she...she cared very much for you." Teresa turned back to Thomas. "I would have done the same."

Thomas looked straight into her eyes, and this time she held his gaze.

"I-I'm sorry for what I did," she whispered, still staring into his eyes. "I'm sorry for betraying the Gladers...for betraying you. If you are still furious with me, I don't blame you. If you never want to speak to me again, I get it. But I hope you will be able to forgive me." Teresa stepped forward, leaving only a small gap between her and Thomas.

"Teresa, I-I'm still angry at what you did, but Brenda told me to―" Thomas felt himself choking up. "―to forgive you. It wasn't until she said it, that I realised that she was right. Keeping a grudge against you will not help matters. There are only two hundred people left to keep this planet going. After all we've been through together, in the Glade and in the Scorch, keeping our friends close is everything."

Teresa nodded, tears beginning to flow down her face again.

"What I'm trying to say," Thomas said uneasily, "is that I forgive you. I forgive you, Teresa."

She nodded, taking his hand uncertainly. He squeezed in response, then he stepped closer, closing the tiny gap between them. He kissed her on the cheek and then on the lips.

Thomas pulled Teresa closer as the last of the sun disappeared below the horizon. He could feel that things were going to get better from now on.


End file.
